ASA obtains landing and overflight permits for scheduled, non-scheduled, diplomatic and medevac flights across Asia, through our aviation authority network. This page explains what the permits are, what they need, and how much notice to allow.
Permits Are the Part of a Trip Somebody Else Controls
Aircraft availability is a commercial question and it can usually be solved. Permits are a regulatory question, and they are the only part of a trip decided by a third party on their own timetable.
ASA has been arranging them since 1999, from offices in Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.
Landing Permit and Overflight Permit — the Difference
A landing permit authorises a foreign-registered aircraft to land in a country. An overflight permit authorises it to cross that country’s airspace without landing. They are separate approvals from separate applications.
A single trip normally needs one landing permit for each country it lands in, plus an overflight permit from every state whose airspace it crosses on the way. A flight from Bangkok to Colombo needs a Sri Lankan landing permit and overflight clearance from every state on the route between them — and the number of applications rises with every additional stop.
This is why routing and permits have to be planned together rather than in sequence. A routing that looks marginally shorter on a map can require an additional state’s clearance and take longer to approve.
How Much Notice to Allow
That is the standard across every ASA service, and it exists because of this page’s subject. A week gives the authorities on your routing time to process a complete application without the trip depending on an expedite.
What extends the lead time
- Routings crossing several states, because each one is a separate approval on its own timetable.
- Diplomatic and government flights, which carry additional clearance requirements.
- Dangerous goods on board.
- Airports with restricted general-aviation access, or airports that are not international points of entry.
- Incomplete documentation — the most common and most avoidable cause of delay. An application that has to be resubmitted starts its clock again.
When a shorter timeline is possible
Short-notice departures are arranged regularly, and whether one is possible depends on the specific countries involved rather than on how urgent the trip is. Contact the charter team with the routing and dates and we will tell you what is achievable rather than what is typical.
What a Permit Application Needs
Permit applications are approved faster when they are complete at first submission. The documentation typically required covers the aircraft, the operator, the crew and the trip itself:
- Aircraft — certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness, noise certificate.
- Operator — Air Operator Certificate and the insurance certificate covering the mission.
- Crew — licences and, where the state requires it, crew list details.
- Trip — full routing with entry and exit points, dates and times, purpose of flight, and passenger details.
ASA collects this set up front rather than at the point of departure, which is the single most effective thing anyone can do to protect a departure date.
The Authorities ASA Files With
| Country | Civil aviation authority | Common gateways |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand | CAAT — Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand | BKK · DMK · HKT · CNX · USM |
| Singapore | CAAS — Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore | XSP Seletar · SIN Changi |
| Malaysia | CAAM — Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia | SZB · KUL · BKI · LGK |
| Indonesia | DGCA — Directorate General of Civil Aviation | CGK · HLP · DPS · SUB |
| Philippines | CAAP — Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines | MNL · CEB · CRK |
| Vietnam | CAAV — Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam | SGN · HAN · DAD · CXR |
| Hong Kong | CAD — Civil Aviation Department | HKG |
| Cambodia | SSCA — State Secretariat of Civil Aviation | PNH · SAI · KOS |
| Laos | DCA — Department of Civil Aviation | VTE · LPQ |
| Taiwan | CAA — Civil Aviation Administration | TSA · TPE · KHH |
| Sri Lanka | CAASL — Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka | CMB · RML |
Permits, Slots and Parking Are Three Different Things
A permit gives an aircraft the right to be in the country. It does not give it a time on the runway or a place to stand.
At slot-coordinated airports the arrival and departure times are a separate allocation, and a parking stand is a third. ASA brokers optimal airport slots and arranges aircraft parking at key regional airports alongside the permit filing, sequenced in the order that works: confirm parking availability, secure the slot, then file the permit against confirmed times. Filing in that order avoids an approved permit for a time the aircraft cannot be accommodated.
At peak periods — Chinese New Year, Songkran, Golden Week, major summits and airshow weeks — parking rather than runway capacity is usually what decides whether a trip is possible at all. See our ground handling page for the full picture.
Flight Types ASA Files For
- Scheduled flights.
- Non-scheduled and ad-hoc charter flights.
- Diplomatic and government flights, including the associated government clearances.
- Medical evacuation and air ambulance flights, handled with priority ground handling, security and CIQ clearance.
Why File Through ASA
ASA has offices in Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, and arranges flights at over 1,000 airports across the region. That puts an ASA office in the same time zone as the authority a permit is filed with — which matters most on the day an application needs chasing.
Permits, slots, parking, ground handling and CIQ clearance are all arranged by the same company, under one coordinator, with 24/7 real-time communication between handling agents, crew and airport authorities.
Need permits for a routing into Asia? Send the aircraft registration and type, routing and dates. We will confirm what each authority on the route requires and how long it will take.
Landing and Overflight Permits — Frequently Asked Questions
What is an overflight permit?
Authorisation from a state to cross its airspace without landing. It is a separate approval from a landing permit, and a trip needs one from every state on the route between its stops.
What is a landing permit?
Authorisation for a foreign-registered aircraft to land in a country. Each country a trip lands in requires its own.
How much notice do you need for permits?
We prefer a week’s notice before the departure date to ensure all permits and approvals are in hand. If you need to fly sooner, contact our charter team and we will check whether it is operationally viable at short notice.
What documents are needed for a permit application?
Typically the aircraft’s certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness and noise certificate; the operator’s Air Operator Certificate and insurance certificate; crew licences; and the full trip details including routing, dates, purpose of flight and passenger information.
Why do some permits take longer than others?
Routings crossing several states need a separate approval from each. Diplomatic and government flights, dangerous goods, and airports with restricted general-aviation access all add requirements. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delay, because a resubmitted application restarts the process.
Can ASA arrange permits at short notice?
Short-notice departures are arranged regularly, and what is achievable depends on the specific countries on the routing. Contact the charter team with your routing and dates and we will confirm what is possible.
Does ASA arrange permits for aircraft it did not charter?
Yes. ASA acts as a permits and ground handling agent for third-party operators, brokers and corporate flight departments regardless of where the aircraft was sourced.
Do I need a permit to overfly a country I am not landing in?
Yes. Overflight clearance is required from every state whose airspace the aircraft crosses, whether or not it lands there.
Are permits enough on their own?
No. A permit gives the aircraft the right to be in the country. An airport slot and a confirmed parking stand are separate arrangements, and at peak periods parking is often the binding constraint.
Can ASA file permits for diplomatic and medevac flights?
Yes. ASA obtains permits for scheduled, non-scheduled, diplomatic and medevac flights across Asia, and specialises in diplomatic flight handling including government clearances.
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